Christian, Jewish and Muslim musicians unite for the planet

Christian, Jewish and Muslim musicians unite for the planet

Muslim rappers will join Christian and Jewish musicians at a London concert tomorrow to highlight the need for concerted public and governmental action on climate change.

Muslim rappers will join Christian and Jewish musicians at a London concert tomorrow to highlight the need for concerted public and governmental action on climate change.

The 3 march 2009 'For God’s Sake: Faith Action on Climate Change' will, says it organisers "rock the Baroque" of Nicholas Hawksmoor’s famous 18th Century Church, St George’s of Bloomsbury. Doors open at 6.00pm for 6.30pm.

The show features Hip Hop and Rap artists Kumasi, Jahaziel, Poetic Pilgrimage, Mohammed Yahya and Daniel Silberstein. Entry is free and open to all.

The event is organized jointly by Radical Middle Way (www.radicalmiddleway.co.uk[1]) and Christian Aid in celebration of the Countdown to Copenhagen campaign and aims to gain even more supporters to the Copenhagen campaign pledge. People are being invited to sign this on www.christianaid.org.uk[2]

Abdul-Rehman Malik, Programmes Manager at Radical Middle Way, says: "This event is about people of faith saying that this issue is bigger than one faith – it unites all people. Our faith calls us to take action now. That’s why Radical Middle Way and other Muslims groups are supporting Christian Aid’s climate campaign."

He continues: "I urge Muslims to sign the pledge, which calls on all activists to lobby for the richest to repay their carbon debt, to do all they can to reduce their own carbon footprint and to encourage others to pledge their support."

The Copenhagen climate conference in December 2009 will see a new international climate deal agreed that will come into force when the first phase of the Kyoto treaty expires in 2012.

UK-based international development agency Christian Aid is calling for the rich industrialised countries to cut emissions by 80% by 2050 and to pay a greater share of the cost of global cuts – on top of the actions they are taking domestically.

It wants technology that can help cut emissions shared with poorer countries and wants rich countries to financially support poorer ones in adapting to climate change. But it also says developing countries have to play their part by bringing in emission-cutting programmes that can be measured, reported and verified.

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